November 2015

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Issue 11 Volume 15

US $3.95

Journey’s Jonathan Cain and His Finale Wines Bring Elegant Sips of Classic Rock to Las Vegas

November 2015

CONTENTS AND COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLISHER MIKE FRYER

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FEATURES Cover

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COVER AND FEATURE ARTICLE ARE DEDICATED TO OUR ROCK STAR FRIEND & WINEMAKER JONATHAN CAIN, one of the founders of the band Journey. Besides good music, Jonathan knows and loves good food and wine, which led him to producing a brand of his own. Take a look inside and see what makes Jonathan tick and why he got into creating Finale Wines, considering what a hectic touring schedule he has with Journey!

Fulll story on page 16.

Cover photo by Paula White INTRODUCES YOU TO REPEAL DAY CELEBRATIONS AT THE MOB MUSEUM IN DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS on December 5th celebrating the end to Prohibition, which took place on December 5, 1933. There will be a lot happening that day at the museum including the celebrations, drinks, table games and food. Check out all that is happening on Repeal Day at the Mob Museum inside this issue. See you there!

COVERS THE WINNERS OF THE NVRA-NEVADA RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION CULINARY EXCELLANCE AWARDS nominated by the NvRA members and voted on by the Board of Directors. “The nominees and winners exemplify the Nevada Restaurant Association’s mission to promote, protect and educate our state’s growing restaurant industry,” said Katherine Jacobi, president and CEO of the Association. “It is an honor to recognize these individuals for everything they do and their culinary and community achievements,” added Sebastien Silvestri, Chairman of the Board.

INVITES YOU TO VISIT ONE OF OUR FAVORITE PUBS ON THE STRIP, P.U.B. or Public Urban Pub by Todd English in The Shops at Crystals at CityCenter. Not only great food, but one of the most unique beer menus are found here on the Strip. Serving lunch, dinner and late night daily, it’s the perfect spot to start or end your night on the town.

Page 4

Page 14

Page 24

Hot Off the Grill!

Annual Repeal Day Party

Product Spotlight

at the Mob Museum

Product Review

Page 5

Our Personal Picks

For the Love of the Craft...

Page 16 Page 6

COVER FEATURE

What’s Brewing

Classic Rock to Las Vegas

Page 27 The Bottom Line

Chef Talk Page 19

Page 8

Up Front and Personal

West Eats East

Page 28 Book Review

Seasonal in Food Culture Page 21 Page 9

Chef Sam Marvin

Food for Thought

Makes 2015 Life is Beautiful

Page 28 LVFNBPro & Nomic Photo Contest Winners

Delicious

Page 10

Page 29

Brett’s Vegas View Page 12 New Hot Spots and Old Favorites

www.lvfnbpro.com

Good for Spooning

Finale Wines Brings Elegant Sips of

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Page 22

Megan Mack’s Latenight

What’s Cooking

Excursions

Page 13

Page 23

Wine Talk

Nevada Restaurant Association

Page 30 Events Ad Index

Announces 2015 Culinary Excellence Award Winners

Page 32 Kerry Simon Tribute

November 2015 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 3

The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 7442 Grizzly Giant Street Las Vegas, NV 89139 www.lvfnbpro.com

HOT OFF THE GRILL!

November 2015 Mike Fryer

Sr. Editor/Publisher Thank you for joining us in this issue of The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional.

For any questions or comments please email mike@lvfnb.com

Bob Barnes

The NvRA-Nevada Restaurant Association recently held its Culinary Excellence Awards hosted at The Palazzo, featuring the culinary industry award winners. In this photo from the Awards Ceremony are MCs Lorraine Hunt and Robin Leach, with Southern Wine & Spirits General Manager in charge of special events Michael Severino receiving the Restaurant Allied of the Year Award from NvRA Chairman of the Board Sebastien Silvestri.

Juanita Fryer

Editorial Director bob@lvfnb.com

Assistant To Sr. Editor ACF Chefs Liasion/ Journalist juanita.fryer@lvfnb.com

Juanita Aiello

The Kerry Simon Memorial Tribute hosted by SWS at the Keep Memory Alive Event Center brought friends, family and professional associates together for a time to remember our dear friend. Pictured here joining in the event was Kerry’s business associate/partner and friend Elizabeth Blau and close friend Chef Barry Dakake, Executive Chef of N9NE Steak House at the Palms Casino & Resort.

Adam Rains

Creative Director juanita@lvfnb.com

Photo courtesy Tony Tran

Renowned Chef Alain Ducasse treated media to a taste of his new Rivea, set in the location of his former miX on the 64th floor of the Delano with one of the most stunning views in Las Vegas. The view is equaled by stupendous Mediterranean small plates that soar to new heights. Here LVFNBPro Editorial Director Bob Barnes congratulates Chef Ducasse on his new restaurant, which is the 3rd Rivea and first one in the US. Chef was the first chef to own restaurants carrying three Michelin Stars in three cities and is one of only two chefs to have ever earned 21 Michelin Stars throughout his career.

Beverage Editor adam.rains@lvfnb.com

Advertising sales@lvfnb.com

Article Submissions/Suggestions articles@lvfnb.com

Calendar Submissions calendar@lvfnb.com

Website webmaster@lvfnb.com

Press Relase Submissions news@lvfnb.com

General Information info@lvfnb.com

@lvfnb

The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional

CONTRIBUTING STAFF

Journalist Aimee McAffee

Journalist & Photographer Joe Fogarty

Accounting Manager Michelle San Juan

Journalist Brett’s Vegas View Jackie Brett

Journalist Shelley Stepanek

Journalist Food for Thought Les Kincaid

Journalists Scott & Elaine Harris

Journalist Mitchell Wilburn

Pre-Press Technician Brandon Yan

Journalist Good for Spooning LeAnne Notabartolo

Journalist East Eats West K. Mike Masuyama Ph.D.

Photographer Audrey Dempsey

Journalist Chef Talk Allen Asch

Journalist Al Mancini

Journalist Heidi Rains

Journalist HR Insights Linda Bernstein

Journalist Green Restaurant Association Michael Oshman

Journalist Wine Talk Alice Swift

Journalist Latenight Megan Nicolson

Journalist The Bottom Line Ben Brown

Photographer Bill Bokelmann

Photographer Joe Urcioli

SoCal Journalist Margie Mancino

Photographer Rose Powell-Carver

4 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I November 2015

www.lvfnbpro.com

By Adam Rains

For the Love of the Craft John Paddon

Adam has a true passion for food, wine, beer & spirits. He is a barman at CarneVino, a brand ambassador for Brooklyn Brewery and a long-time cocktailian. Adam strives to learn every day and during his career he’s studied at SDSU, USBG, BarSmarts, International Sommeliers Guild and the Certified Cicerone Program. His mantra with both food & cocktails is, “fresh is best.”

Photo courtesty powerfulthrist.com

John Paddon is a man of a powerful thirst. He has left the confines of a comfortable, high salaried corporate F&B job and has set out to find his nirvana on a bar stool. John now travels the land looking for not only what is good, but what is great. While he’s searching for prolific pints and dynamic drams, he’s also looking to share the stories of the people who bring exceptional food & beverage to the table with his new podcast, “Man of a Powerful Thirst.” John and I sat down and discussed Groundhog Day, Buffalo Trace and ask, “Why is he so thirsty?!”

So you have been traveling as of late for your new podcast?

Yeah. I just got back from Bourbon Country, and sitting down taking pictures, interviewingathe guys at Buffalo Trace, Jim Beam and Jack Daniels. I went and took pictures at Maker’s Mark and Heaven Hill.

That is exciting. What’s your favorite part about that trip?

Probably the best visit was over at Buffalo Trace. Simply because of the automation pieces they have left around from a hundred years ago. All of their barrels are moved via gravity. If they are moving them from the rick house over to the bottling line there’s literally a little railroad track they’ve got that they put the barrels on, and they just roll themselves where they need to go. That has been there for a hundred years.

What are some of your favorite parts about Las Vegas?

Honestly, meeting people. There’s not really a whole lot of opportunities in a lot of cities as you go across the US. In Indianapolis, you sit down at a bar, you’re probably going to meet somebody from Indianapolis, you’re probably going to meet somebody from Ohio, you’re probably going to meet somebody from www.lvfnbpro.com

Columbus, Ohio, you know, Terre Haute. But, when you go sit down at a bar in Las Vegas you literally could be running into somebody from anywhere.

Where do you see the beverage scene in Las Vegas, in general?

The people that have the most, do the least.

That’s the most embarrassing part. The people that have the most resources, take the fewest risks. That’s because, they need to fill up a nightclub of a thousand people every night.

So, that means you need to reach a wide audience, which limits what you can actually do. You can’t really give your guest credit for understanding if you’d go out on a limb culinary speaking, or beverage speaking.

You’re not going to find a whole lot. In Miami, I just featured a place where, literally, they’re very happy not having any of the mainstream products on the shelves. You’re never going to find that here.

When I last saw you, you were the Wine Director at Caesars Palace. You have since left to further your passions and share them through your show, “Man of a Powerful Thirst.” Tell me about it.

Well, basically, when I came to parting ways with Caesars, my two years were up there. I took a look around and all the other

opportunities that were out there were basically just like Groundhog Day. I’d done it all before, and none of the opportunities really gave me the chance to do what I enjoyed most, which is training and seeing other people go out and flourish with information you set them up with.

One of the great luxuries that I’ve had in my career is meeting so many great people behind the business.

There’s a lot of those stories that just weren’t getting told, and that’s why I put Powerful Thirst together. We don’t really do ratings about products. We talk a lot about the love that goes into them.

What’s next on the show?

We’ve got a piece coming up on Eldorado Rums, the back story behind Demerara.

Where’d it all come from? Why is that style really only done in that part of the world? For a while, people learn for a test, but there’s really a reason behind everything. There’s really these people back there bringing products to our doorstep that really don’t get their just due. So, we are really going out and trying to share those stories, because we’re not in the advertisement business. We can do some of those stories of the people who bring the passion.

Go to www.powerfulthirst.com for more details.

November 2015 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 5

what’s

BREWING

By Bob Barnes Bob Barnes is a native Las Vegan, editorial director of The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional, regional correspondent for Celebrator Beer News and covers the LV restaurant scene for Gayot. com. He welcomes your inquiries.

Email: bob@lvfnb.com

Photo courtesy Big Dog’s Brewing

PT’s Opening a Brewery in Former Digs of Tenaya Creek

Big Dog’s Brewmaster Dave Otto and Brewer Production Manager Sam McKinney-GABF

Las Vegas Breweries Score at Great American Beer Festival 1,552 breweries entered 6,647 beers and just 275 medals were awarded at this year’s GABF, the largest beer competition in the world, held Sept. 24-26 in Denver. Las Vegas breweries fared considerably well, earning three medallions, an excellent showing considering the city has only 14 breweries, of which approximately half entered beers.

Chicago Brewing Company brought home two medals, a gold for its Wild West Tripel in the Belgian-style Tripel category and a bronze for its Quad Damn It in the Belgian-style Strong Specialty Ale category. Both beers had medaled previously: The Quad Damn It took a GABF silver in 2013 and the Wild West Tripel earned a GABF silver in 2011 and 2002; and a World Beer Cup gold in 2010 and a bronze in 2004, making this beer possibly the most medaled tripel in the US. These wins bring Chicago Brewing’s GABF medal count to 13, the most of any Vegas brewery. Repeating wins shows great consistency, and Brewmaster Dave Pascual is renowned for being masterful at brewing Belgian styles and has the medals to warrant respect, with these latest two adding to his collection of major competition medals that now totals 6 GABF (plus 3 as assistant brewer) and 2 WBC (plus 1 as assistant brewer), making him the most medaled of any individual brewer in Nevada. Dave said, “I think it’s awesome that we are lucky enough to keep brewing beer that the judges love. I can’t say we do anything specific, I just brew beer I love to drink and I hope that others love it as well. Also, it is a great way to celebrate my 10 year anniversary at Chicago Brewing.”

As stated above, it’s quite a feat to medal multiple times with the same beer and Big Dog’s Brewing Company did so as well, earning a gold for its Red Hydrant Ale in the English-Style Brown Ale category. This year’s medal marks the third GABF medal for this brew, having claimed a bronze in 1994 and a silver in 2012; and gold at the World Beer Cup in 2006 and 2010. Big Dog’s tally now stands at nine GABF medals. “We are extremely excited to receive this award,” said Kurt Wiesner, Owner of Big Dog’s Brewing Company. “This award shines a bright spotlight on the great beers that are being made by our team of brewers who have been making great world-class beers here in Las Vegas for over 20 years.”

6 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I November 2015

Last issue I reported that Tenaya Creek was selling its equipment as it moved to its much larger brewhouse on Bonanza Rd. near downtown. Now I can report that the former brewery on Tenaya Way in northwest Las Vegas has been sold to Golden Entertainment, owner of 46 taverns scattered throughout the Las Vegas Valley. The brewery, which will have an annual capacity of 3,000 barrels, will be called PT’s Brewing Company and will brew beers to supply its many PT’s, Sierra Gold and Sean Patrick’s outlets and pour at least seven beers at the brewery. Look for it to launch in the first quarter of 2016, possibly as soon as January.

The new head brewer will be none other than Dave Otto, who is fresh off a GABF gold medal and has been brewing at Big Dog’s since it was known as Holy Cow! back in the 1990s. Big Dog’s Owner Kurt Weisner graciously said, “He is going to PT’s Brewing for a great new opportunity and we are all very excited for him and look forward to introducing our new brewer as he passes the torch to his great legacy.”

Vegas Beer Festivals The 3rd annual Sour Saturday held at Atomic Liquors on Oct. 10 was an amazing collection of 56 sour beers from 31 breweries from around the world. I was impressed by the turnout of local breweries with Bad Beat, Big Dog’s, Chicago, Crafthaus and Joseph James (which launched its sour beer series with six creations). I found my palate soon becoming numb, which in a way was a good thing, as it enabled me to pick out the real standouts, which included Joseph James Wild Raspberry aged 8 months in red wine barrels on brettanomyces and lactobacillus and the Belgian Van Honsebrouck St. Louis Kriek, a lambic made with 25% oblacinska cherries barrel aged for six months. Big kudos to Atomic Manager Rose Signor for putting together such a quality and unique event, and for providing us with an extremely detailed list of all the beers being served.

Up next is the Winter Brew’s Best HandCrafted Beer Festival on Dec. 5 from 1-6 at The Green at Town Square. The fest will feature more than 30 local and regional breweries and live entertainment. All proceeds will benefit New Vista, a local charity committed to providing equal opportunities and support to intellectually challenged people of all ages.

Tickets are available at www.brewsbestlv.com.

As always, great beer happens in Vegas! www.lvfnbpro.com

By Chef Allen Asch

Chef Talk Pineapple

Feel free to contact Chef Allen with ideas for comments or future articles at allena@unlv.nevada.edu Chef Allen Asch M. Ed., CCE is a culinary arts instructor that has earned degrees from Culinary Institute of America, Johnson and Wales University and Northern Arizona University. He is currently teaching at UNLV. He earned his Certified Culinary Educator Endorsement from the American Culinary Federation in 2003.

A friend of mine just moved to the beautiful state of Hawaii. I am very excited for him and his new job and I am very excited for myself as I now have a new place to go visit. I have been to Hawaii a few times and have always enjoyed it. I have been fortunate to have visited three islands, but I have spent the most time on the island of Oahu. This is where he moved. He lives on a plot of land with many acres of fertile soil for him to start planting his garden on.

His excitement reminded me of one of my visits when we went to the Dole Pineapple Plantation. This plantation was first planted in Hawaii in 1900. Since my visit pineapples have become a bigger staple in my diet, as I understand how and why they are grown and having tasted them right off of the stem. I never had a better pineapple than on the tour that day. Here are some interesting facts about pineapples.

It takes up to three years for a pineapple to reach full maturity and every plant can only produce one pineapple at a time. After harvest the plant can grow up to two additional pineapples and then it will not produce any more. Commercial growers usually only produce two pineapples and then the stem is harvested and ground down to create bromelain extract, which according to many cultures’ folklore has medicinal value, including improving digestion and helping to induce labor. It also has the ability to reduce nausea and eliminate morning sickness.

Folklore also relates that pineapples can help boost your fertility. One of the biggest uses of pineapple other than eating it fresh is the use the bromelain enzyme as a meat tenderizer, but who knows what else it helps.

Pineapples do not ripen once they are harvested so make sure to pick a ripe one when you are shopping because it will not change from that maturity level. The sweetest part of the pineapple is the outside, so trim it very carefully. Although it originated in South America, most of the worldwide production today is grown in Southeast Asia.

It’s nutrient-rich having vitamins A and C which lowers the risk of gum disease. Vitamin C additionally helps support collagen production which helps maintain healthy supple skin. Pineapples are also full of calcium and potassium which lowers blood pressure levels. They also contain high levels of magnesium and manganese. Fresh pineapples also have high levels of beta carotene which is very beneficial in protecting eyesight.

Pineapple has natural properties that can help alleviate arthritis symptoms and also work to strengthen bones which make them useful in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. Pineapples, named for the Spanish word pina which translates to pine cones, have very high levels of antioxidants which is a common preventive tool people take for cancer. Antioxidants are natural or man-made substances that prevent or minimize cell damage.

The pineapple has been a symbol of hospitality since the early days of America. The legend began that the sailors from New England, when they returned from trips to the Caribbean Islands with their cargo of fruits, spices and rum, would spear a pineapple on a fence post outside his home to let his friends know of his safe return from sea. The pineapple was an invitation for them to visit, share his food and drink, and listen to tales of his voyage. As the tradition grew, colonial innkeepers added the pineapple to their signs and advertisements, and bedposts carved in the shape of a pineapple were a common sight at inns across New England.

Commercial pineapple producers utilize every part of the pineapple. At home most people discard the skin, core and ends, but commercial producers make alcohol, vinegar and animal feed out of all the non-edible parts. The largest pineapple on record weighed in at 18.25 pounds; sounds like a lot of pina coladas. Having shared so many of the benefits of pineapple and why you should eat them, the most compelling argument is that they taste delicious, especially the Golden Pineapple variety which is a hybrid between the Golden Goat and the Pineapple Kush. www.lvfnbpro.com

November 2015 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 7

By K. Mike Masuyama Ph.D.

West Eats East Seasonal in Food Culture

Mike Masuyama is a bi-cultural science-technologybusiness consultant. He earned a Ph.D. in Food Science at Cornell University, is involved in teaching, research and business in major-beer, micro-beer, soft drinks, sake, sea salt, rice, white soy sauce and other areas both in Japan and the US., and has published several books and dozens of articles.

“Ask Doctor Sake” was his last series in this journal.

Turn! turn! turn! There is a season, as Judy Collins sings.

Plants grow on warm days where water flows and are harvested when daytime shortens. Livestock becomes edible when reached to specification. Foods do not come by overnight. Time turns to keep producing our foods. Seasonal is always with the things edible and often connected to holidays or special occasions of the year. Celebrate spring with strong dark beer. Rush for the first corn to a roadside veggie stand in early summer. Watch weight gain by hearty poultry meals with cranberry sauce and pumpkin pies in the fall. Shopping and more eating initiate the days of winter. Japanese are particularly keen to enjoy the first taste of seasonal harvests or catches of the year. A short distance between harvest or catch to mouth makes it possible there. Let’s see the seasonality of Japanese foods and cuisine here.

Before that, we must realize a fact that seasonal appears to be diminishing nowadays. The foods that used to be only available in a season are canned, chilled, frozen or processed into preserved forms, which become available at any season, and their freshness is well maintained by modern food technology. Furthermore, market provides fruit and vegetable produce from the Southern Hemisphere in our winter when it is summer in the south. Mass production, mass marketing and mass consumption likely drive seasonal out of our eating. Despite this, customers surely show an appetite to a seasonal special. Seasonal is not totally dead but can be utilized for value-adding or specialty to differentiate from competitors in unique, small operations today.

In Japan, spring is full of warm days with sprouting plants. A bamboo shoot is dug when a tip of a new bud breaks just barely out of the earth.

It is simply boiled, often with rice bran to remove roughness, and sliced and served with miso-vinegar sauce. Summer provides all kinds of

Traditional yet New Perfect Soy Sauce Flavor without the Color!

A golden color white soy sauce No burnt dark soy sauce flavor No darkening color in cooking Remarkable for sea foods, veggies, pasta, fusion and natural foods www.whitesoysaucefood.com 8 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I November 2015

vegetables and catches from fresh and salt water, which reinvigorate heat exhausting the stomach and soul. Autumn is the season of new crops and catches from nature, a great eating season. An early winter is the season of crabs, but we are out of most of other seasonal items, which excuses us to hibernate with stocked stuffs and warm sake.

Any seasonal Japanese foods or cuisine in our market? Let’s set an imaginary sushi restaurant. You go to your table under shouts of “Irashaimase (Hi! Glad to come).” Naturally you have an urgency to moisten your dried throat. With your order of Japanese beer or sake, a bowl of edamame is often served as a relish or tidbit, which is usually included in the drink charge. Edamame is a sign of summer arrival to drink chilled beer with it there. Here, edamame, simply soybeans, is processed to be frozen after harvest in the Midwest and served or sold in a freezer case at any time, anywhere. It used to be brilliant green with a beany flavor when boiled freshly harvested, with a pinch of salt.

Such a hue or flavor and likely texture are often lost. Edamame appears to be losing its seasonal nature but gaining a status of Japanese snack with drinks year round. Next, miso soup is on the way to your table. In miso soup bits of tofu (soybean paste) and leafy Wakame sea-veggies are swimming. This sea-veggie is a seasonal harvest in spring but often dried for being available at any time, so no more seasonal touch.

Now sushi time. Absolutely seasonal for all fish, shellfish and seafood.

Bonito is the first fish in an early summer, which people used to pay big money to eat in old days of Japan. Yellowtail tastes best in late fall.

Salmon is also a catch of the fall. Squid, octopus or scallop is local and seasonal, but most of them are frozen-thawed today. Tuna is no exception, caught all over the ocean, deep-frozen, consumed at any time, any place.

Besides, many fishes and crustaceans are farm-raised without a top season of harvest. Oh, one thing about seasonal sushi I have encountered in my last trip to Japan. That was a Nigiri sushi with two slices of eggplant, broiled, with miso-vinegar sauce on top. Today sushi can be seasonal with eggplant or other veggies! I believe. Animal foods practically have little to do with seasonal but plant foods can, which is applicable to many other cuisines nowadays.

The most distinct seasonal is Matsutake mushroom (Ponderosa mushroom, $90+/lb), being sold at Japanese grocery stores. Its pungent aroma and crunchy texture are prized for the taste of autumn. Local ones, harvested in California in the past, moved to Oregon-Washington, now in Canada, and some in Mexico, are being exported to Japan. A Nigiri sushi with Matsutake could be a good seasonal at a good price. For other seasonals, odds may be better at Izakaya or Kappo restaurants where a more traditional style cuisine is served. For the food business, it is a good idea to present seasonal or today’s special at the holidays or events even with ready-toserve packages in frozen or chilled form, made and exported from Asia.

Nothing wrong with it, I guess. Seasonal is good to anyone! www.lvfnbpro.com

FOOD FOR THOUGHT Try a Couple Side Dishes for Thanksgiving Holiday

By Les Kincaid Les Kincaid is a food, wine, and golf expert and cookbook author. He hosts the nationally syndicated wine radio show Wines Du Jour each Thursday from 7 to 8 pm. You can enjoy his website or his broadcast at www.leskincaid.com les@leskincaid.com www.facebook.com/leskincaid www.twitter.com/leskincaid

Green Bean Casserole with Fried Shallots

The greatest day of the year is nearly upon us, and with that exciting arrival means there is some serious prep work to be done. There are recipes that need planning.

Turkeys that need to be bought, brined and cooked. Pies to be baked. Cocktails to be stirred.

But before any of that happens, before we begin celebrating our favorite food holiday, there are side dishes to be planned since they are about as turkey is, after all, the star but not the only part of a great meal.

Some even argue they’re better than the centerpiece of the meal: the turkey. But not all sides deserve this stellar reputation. Some sides are bland, boring and a waste of your precious stomach space.

There is an unspoken understanding around Thanksgiving meals most people subscribe to: It is not about one meal but several days after too. Thanksgiving weekend is about spending time with friends and family enjoying an incredible meal on Thursday, followed by a weekend of grazing on leftovers that should be guilt free. Mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potato casseroles… I love them all and always feel a little sad when I scoop the last of the side dishes from their leftover containers onto my plate. These are a couple personal favorites that many haven’t had the pleasure to enjoy with family and friends.

Sweet Potato Casserole

1 cup chopped pecans 1 cup packed light brown sugar 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1 stick sweet butter, softened, divided 1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut (optional) 2 (29-ounce) cans sweet potatoes, drained and mashed

3/4 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1/2 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 3-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine pecans, brown sugar, flour, 1/4 cup butter, and the coconut, if desired; mix until crumbly, then set aside.

In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients, including remaining butter; mix well. Spoon into casserole dish and sprinkle evenly with pecan mixture.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until bubbly and heated through.

Yield: 6 servings www.lvfnbpro.com

2 pounds fresh green beans 1 package sliced mushrooms 1/2 sweet onion 1/4 cup sweet butter 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3 cloves garlic 1/2 cup dry white wine 1 1/2 cup half-and-half 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 3 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs FRIED SHALLOTS 4 large shallots 1/3 cup all-purpose flour Canola oil Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook green beans in boiling salted water to cover in a Dutch oven 4 to 5 minutes or to desired degree of doneness; drain. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process; drain and pat dry.

Sauté mushrooms and onion in melted butter in Dutch oven over medium heat 10 minutes or until golden; whisk in flour and garlic and cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in wine and cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Whisk in half-and-half and cook, whisking constantly, 3 to 4 minutes or until sauce is thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat, and whisk in 1/3 cup cheese and next 3 ingredients.

Fold green beans into sauce. Place in a lightly greased 2 1/2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan and panko over green bean mixture. Top with fried shallots.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Serve immediately.

For the Fried Shallots: Separate 4 large sliced shallots into rings. Toss in all-purpose flour.

Pour vegetable oil to depth of 1 inch in a medium saucepan; heat to 350 degrees F. Fry shallots, in batches, 3 to 4 minutes or until crispy and just golden. Drain on paper towels; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Yields: 8-10 servings

November 2015 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 9

Brett’s

Jackie Brett Jackie is a freelance public relations specialist and writer specializing in the Las Vegas entertainment and travel scene. Her writings have appeared in magazines and newspapers nationwide and on numero us websites. She is also an instructor covering Special Events at CSN- College of Southern Nevada.

Email: jackiebrett@cox.net

Paramount Entertainment George Strait will be one of the first to perform April 22-23 and Sept. 9-10 at the new $375 million, 20,000-seat Las Vegas Arena opening next April.

Flamingo headliner Olivia Newton-John will be the Woman of the Year for Nevada Ballet Theatre’s 32nd Annual Black & White Ball on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016, at Wynn Las Vegas.

34th Floor Hospitality introduced two new concepts offering breakfast, lunch and dinner downtown at Rick Harrison’s Pawn Plaza: Inna Gadda di Pizza and Pawn Donut & Coffee.

The D and Golden Gate are bringing Not Your Father’s Root Beer alcoholic beverage to Downtown.

The 24/7 Born and Raised BAR opened at 10050 Eastern Ave. in Henderson.

Evolving News Minus5 Ice Bar celebrated Golden Nugget headliner Gordie Brown by creating a cocktail in his honor.

Janet Jackson will bring her Unbreakable World Tour to the Las Vegas Arena Saturday, May 14 for rescheduled dates replacing her two cancelled shows at AXIS Theatre due to illness.

Reba, Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn added a performance at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on Monday, Dec. 7 along with six shows from May 3-14, 2016.

Britney Spears premiered her Aristocrat’s Britney Spears Slot Game at Planet Hollywood.

Dining-Beverage Developments

Another mini-residency with about 20 shows next year is heading to The Axis at Planet Hollywood on April 27 starring Lionel Richie.

He’ll appear in the same theater where Britney Spears will continue headlining for another two years and Jennifer Lopez will pick up her residency on Jan. 20, 2016.

During the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Dec. 3–12, the Golden Nugget will host 10 p.m. shows with country superstars Tanya Tucker, Big and Rich, Trace Adkins, Terri Clark, Merle Haggard, LeAnn Rimes and Alabama.

After 11-months, Frank--The Man, The Music starring Bob Anderson with a 32-piece orchestra will close Saturday, Nov. 28 in the Palazzo Theater. In December, The Venetian will begin preparing the stage for a new show in 2016.

Carlos Santana 2016 performance dates at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay will mark his fourth year there.

Resident DJ Tiësto will be the headlining artist for New Year’s Eve Thursday, Dec. 31 at Hakkasan Nightclub at the MGM Grand.

Celebrity Items Pop superstar Bruno Mars was immortalized in wax at Madame Tussauds Las Vegas to celebrate his 30th birthday.

Alternative rock band Blue October was honored with a memorabilia case at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

Wayne Newton’s 52-acre Casa de Shenandoah estate is now open for tours at Sunset and Pecos.

Siegfried & Roy introduced four tiger cubs Liberty, Maharani, Hirah and Justice at their Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at The Mirage.

Sea Monsters Revealed opened adjacent to Shark Reef Aquarium inside Mandalay Bay and runs through October 2016.

SPEEDVEGAS a 100-acre speed and supercar experience broke ground on the $30 million motorsports complex.

The Ferrari dealership at Wynn Las Vegas will close to make room for a different attraction.

The 11th Annual Las Vegas Great Santa Run benefitting Opportunity Village will be held downtown Saturday, Dec. 5.

On Nov. 10, Ethel M Chocolates will light its 22nd annual Holiday Cactus Garden.

The new Pete Rose Sports Bar and Grill open for breakfast, lunch and dinner has an outside Strip-side patio and features his historic baseball career memorabilia.

Sensi closed at Bellagio and will open in December as Harvest by Roy Ellamar with an open atmosphere and exhibition kitchen.

Buffalo Wild Wings opened the brand’s first Las Vegas Strip 24-hour wings and sports bar location inside Miracle Mile Shops with a retail section.

The Beatles REVOLUTION Lounge at The Mirage closed to develop a new concept in 2016.

Stoney’s Rockin’ Country reopened in Town Square.

Shake Shack, a modern day “roadside” burger stand, opened its second Las Vegas location off the Strip in Downtown Summerlin.

Big Ern’s BBQ opened a second location at the Fiesta with country barn and picnic table decor mirroring that of its first location at Downtown Container Park.

10 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I November 2015

The Range 702 shooting facility recently moved to a new nearby location.

Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada’s 5th Annual Suite Holidays fundraiser on Dec. 5 features exclusive VIP hotel suites tours.

Food Tours of America from Dallas expanded to Las Vegas with tours focusing on popular restaurants.

Los Angeles-based retailer Fred Segal closed his seven stores at SLS while the resort opened three replacements: Etc., Goods and Her. Japanese artist Tatsuo Miyajima debuted his 18-foot-high mirrored pagoda work “HOTO” in the United States at The Shops at Crystals.

Celebrating its 31st year, the 2016 Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show will return to Las Vegas March 7-9.

Las Vegas will host the presidential candidate debate Oct. 19, 2016, at the Thomas & Mack Center on the UNLV Campus. www.lvfnbpro.com

CUSTOM BLENDED HERBS and SPICES MADE LOCALLY IN LAS VEGAS • Wholesale distributor of exceptional quality dried spices and specialty foods to the finest hotels and restaurants • Owned and operated by a former chef with over 20 years of experience • Custom packed Herbs and Spices • Custom Spice Blends • Private labeling • Now Certified Kosher

6960 W Warm Springs Road #130 • Las Vegas, Nevada 89113 (1/2 block west of Rainbow Blvd)

702-642-1100

• Open to the Public • Restaurant Quality Spices, Herbs, and Blends • Over 250 Spices, Herbs and Blends • Sold by the Smidgen, Pinch, Dash, Ounce or More • Foodservice Pack Sizes Available • Blended and Packed on Premises • Sign up at www.thespiceoutlet.com

6960 W Warm Springs Road #150 • Las Vegas, Nevada 89113 (1/2 block west of Rainbow Blvd)

702-534-7883 • www.thespiceoutlet.com Mon-Sat 10am - 6pm

By Shelley Stepanek

New Hot Spots and Old Favorites

Stir Crazy

Sammy’s Restaurants

Stir Crazy, formerly on Paradise next to Kiss Golf, has reopened at 3345 E. Patrick Lane and is busy stirring up their fabulous fresh Mongolian Grill specialties. You pick out your own veggies, meats, fruits and dressing, such as lemon, pepper or pineapple, and hand it to the chef in one big bowl. He’ll go to work adding sesame seeds and spices. It all goes on a big scoop of either brown or white rice and you can opt for unlimited servings. At $9.99 for lunch and $13.99 for dinner this is really the best new place to stop in at. 702-538-8787 The Bellagio will debut a new farm-to-table restaurant, Harvest by Roy Ellamar, in December. Hawaiian Chef Roy Ellamar will be picking out the freshest items daily, to produce opulent vegetarian dishes and sustainable seafood. There will be “Snack Wagons” which will travel from table to table with small bites and selections. Harvest will move into the space formerly occupied by Sensi.

Sammy’s Restaurants has various locations throughout Las Vegas. A couple of weeks ago I tried out one that I had not been to before at 1501 N. Green Valley Pkwy. The bar has seats for 24 and separates a living room from a dining room. There is a small gaming tavern with full bar and private dining room for up to 40, and main dining room for up to 100 for a reception. With their traditional wood-fired pizzas, plenty of salad and pastas to pick from, and lots of shared tapas, this is a great spot to stop for lunch or dinner. They also have vegetarian and gluten free as well as vegan dishes to pick from. I love the Chinese chicken salad, and the goat

12 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I November 2015

Shelley Stepanek is President of DSA, the oldest non-profit tourist association in the state, along with being on the board of ticket brokers. Shelley has previously owned three restaurants.

Rainforest Cafe cheese pizzas. On the weekends they have brunch specialties including eggs Benedict, brie cheese omelets, and Scottish smoked salmon from 11-3 p.m. Try a chicken tequila fettucine, or a braised lamb shank. Bet you didn’t know there was all these wonderful items to pick from at a Sammy’s. 702-630-2027.

Another Hooters has arrived, in the Palms Hotel. The world’s largest Hooters, it has two stories and overlooks the pool. Lots of sports TVs going and plenty of “hot” wings to order from. Really,18 different varieties of wings.

The Golden Tiki in Chinatown opened in August at 3939 Spring Mountain Road. They have service 24 hours a day, serve plenty of Mai Tais and can host up to 150 for private parties.

Rainforest Café has moved from the MGM Grand to The Harmon Retail Corner at 3717 Las Vegas Blvd. The food is moderately priced and there is plenty of apparel, toys and gifts. The new location features an outdoor patio and a Lava Lounge Bar and is open from 11-12 midnight daily.

Grimaldi’s, the tried and true brick oven pizzeria, celebrated its 3rd anniversary in The Palazzo, offering thin crust and a whole new array of specialty cocktails, along with fabulous layered cheesecake. They have some pairings to try, such as the Margherita and SoHo Shandy— traditional pizza with Extra Famous Sauce paired with Peroni, Tanqueray Gin, lemonade and fresh lime juice; the Brooklyn Bridge & Staten Island Sour—pizza with red peppers, creamy ricotta cheese and hand pinched Italian sausage paired with Captain Morgan Spiced Rum with lemon juice and a touch Grimaldi’s house red wine; or the Garden & Madison Square Margarita— traditional pizza topped with tomatoes, sliced onion, mushrooms and black olives, paired with Maestro Dobell Diamate Tequila, Amaretto Disaronno and fresh lime juice.

Three locations around town. Grab a pizza to go after shopping at The Palazzo. Located on the 2nd floor, north end of the shops.

Grimaldi’s in The Palazzo www.lvfnbpro.com

Wine Talk with Alice Swift

By Alice Swift Alice Swift has been a resident of Las Vegas since July, 2011, and is currently an instructor as well as a Ph.D. student at UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration. She also works as Learning Design & Development Business Partner for MGM Resorts University. Check out her website at www.aliceswift.com for the dish on wine, technology, or even both! She is happy to take suggestions for article topics or inquiries.

LA County Fair + Wine, Beer AND Spirits…Who Knew?

Venue: Wine, Beers and Spirits Marketplace The L.A. County Fair is one of the top five largest county fairs in the United States, and is held every September with more than one million attendees annually. I have fond memories of the fair as a child, and I’ve been attending annually since 2008 despite having lived in Las Vegas for four years now! One of my favorite experiences is the challenge to find all the new and creative fried food items; this year I enjoyed fried guacamole, and discovered some new items that I wasn’t bold enough to try, like the fried peanut butter pickle, funnel cake burger and the Mexican curly fries.

But, besides the fried food frenzy and carnival activities, my next favorite activity is a visit to the Beer, Wine and Spirits Marketplace, which houses a wine/beer tasting bar, as well as a number of tables to dine or have some of Dr. Bob’s famous ice cream. The Marketplace pours hundreds of beverages that were entered and placed in the Los Angeles International Wine Competition. On top of that, the fair also holds a series of wine classes taught by judges from the competition, sommeliers and wine educators.

Competition

Education

The Los Angeles International Wine Competition has thousands of wine, spirits and beer entries annually. This ultimately leads to consumer benefits because the award-winning producers are then poured at the Marketplace in the Gold Medal Wine Tasting Bar. These entries cover the entire globe, with products from the United States to Barbados to Korea and many more! Below is a summary of the competition results:

Believe it or not, the L.A. Country Fair and the Fairplex venue employs a certified sommelier, Mary Ellen Cole, who coordinates the wine education program. There are a large variety of classes that run five days out of the week for the entire duration of the fair, with a low fee of $20. This fee gets you six wine samples for tasting, four cheese samples, and one ticket to the Gold Medal Wine Tasting Bar to taste the winning wine from the competition. The instructors from the class are made up of wine educators, sommeliers and various distinguished competition judges. My favorite, of course, would be Dr. Margie Jones, professor at Cal Poly Pomona’s Collins College of Hospitality Management, and my inspiration to venture into the beverage world to begin with!

The class topics range, with some very interesting titles, such as: • Forgive Me, I Have Zinned: California Zinfandels • Taste Like A Sommelier: Blind Tasting • Wines You’d Never Order, But You Should • A Rainbow of Rieslings • Wine, Cheese and Chocolate • Story Telling: The Story Behind the Wine

Wine

(entries from 22 countries) 143 Best of Class 530 Gold Medals 1,209 Silver Medals 761 Bronze Medals

Spirits (entries from 34 countries) 53 Best of Category 10 Best of Division 178 Gold Medals 125 Silver Medals 39 Bronze Medals

Beer

(1098 entries, 88 categories) 82 Gold Medals 81 Silver Medals 75 Bronze Medals 27 Honorable Mentions To learn more about this year’s competition, go to: www.lawinecomp.com, www.laspiritscomp.com, and www.labeercomp.com.

Unfortunately, the fair is over for the year, but don’t fret, it will be back next year! Keep an eye out for the wine education class schedule that comes out before the fair starts at the Fairplex website: http://www.fairplex.com/wos/wine_competition/AwardsCelebration/WineEducationClasses.asp Hope to see you at the fair next year! www.lvfnbpro.com

November 2015 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 13

The Mob Museum Hosts

Annual Repeal Day Party,

Sponsored by Southern Wine and Spirits, Featuring Boss of the Bars Cocktail Contest

Saturday, December 5

This Repeal Day, December 5, The Mob Museum, The National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, will once again become THE most spirited place in the nation to celebrate the anniversary of the end of Prohibition (December 5, 1933). Join Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman and Oscar B. Goodman at the Museum’s Repeal Day Party, where guests are encouraged to don their finest Prohibition-era attire while they imbibe craft cocktails from some of the city’s best mixologists, play casino table games and enjoy live entertainment by cabaret dancers and a jazz swing band. This year’s event is made possible by Southern Wine and Spirits of Nevada.

A public toast by Oscar Goodman commemorating the anniversary of Repeal Day will highlight the evening. Master of ceremonies for the evening will be Dayvid Figler, prominent trial attorney also known for his Las Vegas expertise and freelance writing.

Back by popular demand, the Boss of the Bars Cocktail Competition will take place during the Museum’s Repeal Day festivities. Open to all bars comprising downtown’s dynamic nightlife scene, the winning bar will receive the monumental, custom-designed Repeal Day Cup to display on their premises until next year’s competition. Last year’s winning bar was Atomic Liquors. In addition to having its name engraved on the Repeal Day Cup for all posterity, the winning bar will also receive a proclamation from the City of Las Vegas deeming it the victor in the “Boss of the Bars” contest. Competitors will craft Prohibition-era-inspired cocktails for a panel of judges including Al Mancini, food and beverage writer, blogger and author; Joy Robertson, host and producer, FoodChannel.com; and Xania Woodman, senior editor, dining, beverage and nightlife, Vegas Seven. Also joining as a judge this year will be Scott Deitche, author of “Cocktail Noir: From Gangsters and Gin Joints to Gumshoes and Gimlets,” a lively look at the intertwining of alcohol and the underworld.

Deitche will sign copies of his book the day prior, December 4, from 1-5 p.m. in the Museum retail store.

Also a returning highlight of this year’s Repeal Day at The Mob Museum: the Roaring 20s Costume Contest. Judges for this year’s event will include Deirdre Clemente, assistant professor of history, associate director of the public history program, University of Nevada Las Vegas; Jennifer Le Zotte, adjunct instructor of 20th Century American culture and assistant

professor at University of Nevada, Reno; Debrae Little, longtime costume designer for stars of opera and the stage; Jen Taler, operating partner, Stitch Factory; and Polly Weinstein, owner, The Jeweler’s Daughter.

General admission tickets for the event, which runs from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., are $39.95 if purchased before Nov. 15 ($45.95 if purchased later) and include Museum access, Boss of the Bars Competition, two free drink tickets, signature menu by Relish, cigars for purchase, casino table games, Roaring 20s costume contest and performances by cabaret dancers and a jazz swing band. VIP Party tickets are $59.95 if purchased before Nov. 15 ($65.95 if purchased later) or two for $100 and include all aspects of the Repeal Day Party, as well as early access (at 6 p.m.), open bar, speakeasy atmosphere and 1920s dance lessons.

For more information and to make reservations for The Mob Museum’s Repeal Day events, go to http://themobmuseum.org/events-posts/ december-5-the-mob-museum-to-celebrate-4th-annual-repeal-day/ or call (702) 229-2734. Museum members will receive 10 percent off all ticket prices. Proceeds benefit educational programming at The Mob Museum.

Please note: The Mob Museum invites you to celebrate your right to imbibe during our third annual Repeal Day festivities, but please don’t drink and drive. Designate a sober driver, call a taxi or stay downtown.

Driving with a blood alcohol content of .08 is illegal across the country.

But the amount of alcohol it takes to get to that number depends on a variety of factors such as how fast you drink, weight and gender. If you’ve had anything to drink, don’t get behind the wheel.

About The Mob Museum The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, is a world-class destination in downtown Las Vegas dedicated to the thrilling story of organized crime and law enforcement. The Museum presents unbelievable stories about the Mob, its impact on Las Vegas history and unique imprint on the world. True stories of Mob history are brought to life in an eye-opening style via interactive exhibits, high-tech theater presentations and nearly 1,000 authentic artifacts, the largest collection of Mob and law enforcement memorabilia under one roof. Since opening in 2012, The Mob Museum has accumulated numerous accolades, including being named one of the “Best Places to Travel in 2015” by Travel + Leisure Magazine, “A Must for Travelers” by The New York Times, one of “20 Places Every American Should See” by Fox News and Budget Travel magazine, “9 Reasons to Visit Las Vegas” by CNNgo, a finalist for the “Best Wider World Project Award,” by the British Guild of Travel Writers and “Best Museum” by Nevada Magazine. Admission is $21.95 for adults ages 18 and over with special pricing for online purchase, children, seniors, military, law enforcement, Nevada residents, and teachers. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, call (702) 229-2734 or visit www.TheMobMuseum.org. Connect on Facebook: www.Facebook. com/TheMobMuseum, on Twitter: @TheMobMuseum and subscribe to the Museum’s Mobcast at www.youtube.com/user/TheMobMuseum.

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www.lvfnbpro.com

Finale Wines Brings Elegant Sips of Classic Rock to Las Vegas

By Ben Brown Photos by Paula White

Jonathan Cain - Journey keyboardist and songwriter

“It’s not about how many cases we can sell.

It’s about how many palates we can wow.

We want to wow them,” ~Jonathan Cain Co-owner - Finale Wines

Jonathan Cain is best known for his role in the legendary band “Journey.”

Iconic songs, timeless performances and historic productions with the eighties’ top vocalists have led this keyboardist and songwriter to earn some of the music industry’s top accolades. And while Cain continues to tour and showcase his classics, he has now taken to capitalizing on another lifelong passion: wine.

Enter Finale Wines, a Northern California-based brand that celebrates the intersection of wine and music. The line presents an array of reds, with a Rosé forthcoming, ranging from mid to upper-mid pricing. Having launched successfully in the Bay Area, Finale Wines is now making its way into the Las Vegas market through a partnership with Southern Wine and Spirits.

Some promising opportunity for Cain’s new concept. But you may be asking yourself where the seemingly exclusive worlds of wine and music come together.

“We begin with the end in mind. We all have a vision. It’s a very musical thing to make wine. It’s a process like song writing. It’s a creation,” Cain said. The man’s expertise in songwriting goes without saying, but far fewer people know that he has some significant ground to stand on when it comes to wine knowledge.

Cain’s family has a history in winemaking, with his grandfather producing his own Muscat after immigrating to the US in 1920. Cain got his own introduction to wine at the tender age of three, when the owner of his family’s apartment building routinely shared French bread dipped in homemade Chianti. When Cain moved to Northern California in 1981, he found himself in wine country as often as possible.

“It’s God’s juice. It’s something God created for use to enjoy. I took advantage of a good thing. I really put my nose to it and every other weekend I was up there,” Cain said.

Cain’s passion spanned beyond just tasting good wine, however. He kept tabs on the industry’s movement and noted what the major players were doing to ‘wow’ their patrons.

“I always call them artists. They refer to themselves as craftsmen. They profile stuff out of the ground. It’s insane what they do,” Cain said, tipping his hat to the winemakers he’s visited. He called out Sebastiani Winery for providing tremendous insight into the field. He called them the “Mack Daddy” of Sonoma, saying that they were “Doing it all” and that “They had a good representation of the whole gamut” when it came to wine.

Passion turned to business in 2005, when Cain met winemaker Dennis De La Montanya, Finale Wines co-owner, at a barrel tasting in Sonoma. De La Montanya, a Journey fan, asked Cain to sign a bottle for his wife. Cain went on to visit De La Montanya’s winery in Healdsburg, CA and the two became fast friends.

“I was impressed with [Dennis’s] wines,” began Cain. They transitioned to business partners when De La Montanya suggested bottling some of his wines for charity. “Thought we could do something cool to make money for the kids.”

Cain rallied Journey to launch what is now a yearly tradition that features album covers and De La Montanya’s wine with personally signed labels.

Proceeds benefit the Make-A-Wish foundation, a charity that Finale Wines strongly supports as well.

The charity project led the duo to think about another venture together, and the concept of a new wine line developed. www.lvfnbpro.com

“I realized that [De La Montanya’s] palate and my palate were very similar after blending some stuff together,” Cain said.

De La Montanya introduced Cain to Daryl Groom, a winemaker and consultant that he knew through coaching Little League in Healdsburg. The duo became a trio, united under the principal of simply ‘making great wine and having fun while doing it.’

With some development and fine-tuning, as well as lots of tasting, they launched Finale Wines. Their focus is on offering a superior product made in small batches. He and his team are more interested in creating ‘wow’ than scaling up at the risk of quality.

“You’re not going to find it at Bevmo. You’re not going to find it at Costco,” Cain said. “We’re consistent. We offer our best fruit…it’s something that I pick personally every year. I’ve got my thumbprint on it.”

Their first hit was Chanconne, a Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast.

Translating to ‘slow dance’ Chanconne seeks for its patrons to ‘enjoy the moment.’

“If I was on a desert island and only had one wine, it would be a Pinot,” Cain said. He saw this as a natural first step on the road to the brand’s full line. “[Pinot is a] great introduction to red wine. A lot of the wine drinkers that don’t like red wine…I tend to lead them toward Pinot Noir.”

Finale Wines has grown its production to Finale Pinor Noir, Finale Cabernet Sauvignon, Grand Finale Bordeaux-style red blend, and All Access, a Cabernet Sauvignon known for ‘VIP taste.’ Current vintages range from 2006–2010. The group is also launching a Rosé in the near future, hopefully in time for Thanksgiving.

“It’s one of my favorites with turkey and stuffing,” Cain said. “Rosé is really making a comeback. We just put together a barrel and are very excited about it.”

The line has seen success in the restaurant sector, with its retail presence limited to one-off events without any long-term shelf contracts. Cain was content with these limits to maintain their quality focus.

“We don’t have plans to go that big. We like keeping it where it is,” he said.

“We’ve developed great relationships with our clients and I love that…We love our [sommeliers]. We may grow a little bit but right now it’s about the relationships we have.”

The team has agreed, however, that entering the Las Vegas market will allow them to expand in a healthy manner while retaining product quality.

“Las Vegas is an opportunity for new relationships…Vegas has a real heart and soul to it that I didn’t know about,” Cain said in regard to Las Vegas’s food and beverage community.

“There’s a brotherhood there. There’s a real united, caring group of people there that love each other and take care of each other,” he continued. “[Sommeliers] have such deep knowledge about wine…all the chefs are so beautiful…I’m a big fan of what they do and they’re a big fan of what I do.”

Southern Wine and Spirits will be distributing Finale Wines to select restaurants across Las Vegas. Cain and his team are excited about the partnership.

“We were thrilled,” Cain said. “Tons of opportunity and possibility. I thank them so much for welcoming me and my brand. Hope to continue this relationship and to bring excellent wine and music to Las Vegas.”

It looks like a lot more classic hits will be making their way into Sin City.

For more information visit Finale Wines at www.finalewines.com.

November 2015 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 17

18 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I November 2015

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Up Front and Personal Josip Jonjic

By Heidi Rains Heidi Rains is a San Diego native, a wiz of a home cook and brings life to the desert with a beautiful garden. Her herbs have been tasted by many and used by some of the top mixologists in town. She has spent her whole life living, eating & working in fine-dining restaurants, cocktailing & bartending on the Strip and she has a thirst for all things delicious.

Just livin’ the dream! That’s the classic sarcastic response you get from many service industry types who have made being miserable their second job. But you won’t hear any of this sarcasm from Josip Jonjic. This hard working Croatian is a genuine original and is really living the American Dream! In less than ten years, Josip went from knowing only a few words of English to being one of the best servers at one of the busiest specialty restaurants in one of the largest hotels in the world. He’s whip smart with a preternatural ability to make his guests happy and has many of them coming back to see him time and time again. What is especially inspiring about Josip is that he seems to always be on the right side of any conflict because for him loyalty and a fierce commitment to fairness is what is at his core.

Living through war will shape who you are and for him it has made him a crusader for what is just. Apart from this, he is funny as hell and one of the most interesting people you’d want to know. When not delighting guests at Fiamma he spends his time with his beautiful wife, baby boy and funloving fellow comrades!

You were born in Croatia and have a Masters in Marketing Management with a “real job” that sent you around the world. What on earth brought you into the Las Vegas service industry?

I had very professional job in Croatia but when I came to the US to visit my best friend I decided to just throw my work phone away and stay! My boss was extremely angry but I realized that was not the right job for me.

Funny story, I actually did not speak a word of English and when I began work as a server I would hand the guest a piece of paper that said, “Hello, I do not speak English so please write down your order for me and I will get it to you.” And that is exactly what I did. I worked tirelessly to memorize the menu and every single aspect of the job until I was able to learn English and excel at my job. People loved me at my job! I was like Balky from Perfect Strangers! And just a couple of years later I was getting my job at MGM Grand!

When you come to live in another country, you must first learn the language. It is disrespectful to not learn the language. You cannot expect to evolve in this society without speaking English. Nobody is invited here…you come here because you want to be here! www.lvfnbpro.com

What would you say is your style of service?

I start out by reading the table and determining how to craft my service to their personalities.

I also like to surprise people with great service, especially when I can tell they are not expecting it. In Europe nobody jumps around the way we do to give excellent service. They do not expect it and when they get it they always show me appreciation. My number one thing is to make the guest happy and how I get there is my own way. If I have to run around in the back like a crazy person I will always make sure the guest is happy. These people pay all of us and we need to cater to them completely.

Every day is something new and it’s great to meet new people every single night. It really is the American dream!

Las Vegas has been your home for a decade now. In your view, what do we do well and where do we lack?

We service 40 million people every year and no other city can do what we do on this level.

When I first moved here it was too hot but now I am completely in love with Vegas. I love so much about this city but if there is one thing that it lacks it is corner shops, family owned cafes and places to just walk. What I love the most are the people I have met since moving here and all of the friendships I have kept. It really is like family when you work in the service industry.

You come from a family of craftsmen furniture producers and you make furniture yourself. Is there a correlation between the focus needed for crafting furniture and crafting a guest’s experience?

Focusing on what you do will always work its way into your life. If you serve people like a robot you will lose but when you put yourself into the finishing process they will love you.

I’m not happy unless a guest leaves happy, is giving me a hug or handshake and is truly satisfied. In Croatia it’s very normal to work with your father and he was a furniture producer who created pieces for bars and restaurants. If I wanted a new toy or bike I had to work hard to earn the money for this. This really taught me to work hard and be appreciative. I gave up wood working for years but when I came to the US I picked it up again because it brought me closer to home. I absolutely love it and I love working with my hands when crafting pieces. I used to be obsessed with power tools but now I focus on handcrafting because it really feels more like a piece of art. I feel the exact same way about service!

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Chef Sam Marvin

Makes 2015 Life is Beautiful

Delicious

By Aimee McAffee Aimee McAffee is a serious foodie who appreciates the finer things in life. Her background in public relations, communication and marketing give her a unique insight on food, venues and presentation. When she’s not adventuring at the latest culinary hot spot, she’s spending quality time with her husband and two children.

Culinary villages spread throughout a massive 18 city blocks offered the most tempting bites and libations at the 2015 Life is Beautiful festival on September 25-27. Celebrity chefs and mixologists presented demos in the Downtown Stage VIP. It truly was a chance to appreciate just how beautiful life can be, especially when surrounded by so much deliciousness.

I particularly enjoyed the demonstration by Chef Sam Marvin in the Downtown Stage VIP. He shared some really fascinating information about oysters. Yes, they actually are aphrodisiacs – apparently this is his most frequently asked question but he was a great sport and acted like it was a new and different question.

Photos by Audrey Dempsey - Infinity Photo

Not only did we learn about oysters but he also shared trays full of the briny treats for our sampling pleasure. For those of us who are oyster lovers, this was pure heaven. I especially enjoyed the small, sweet and juicy Pacific Greens from Morro Bay. The Kumamoto oysters are deep-cupped with petite meats, mild brininess, sweet flavor and honeydew finish.

Some were offered with Mignonette sauce and shallots, adding a savory component; the vinegar provided a fruity, acidic note to balance the brine of the oyster and heat of the black pepper.

Though Chef Sam is perhaps most widely known locally for his modern steakhouse/ seafood/butcher shop Echo + Rig, he hinted that he has another restaurant in the works in the Fremont area of Downtown Las Vegas. We’ll have to see what’s to come as more information is released.

Chef Sam was one of so many celebrity chefs who not only participated in Life is Beautiful but offered specially-created items just for the festival. It was a magnificent opportunity for attendees to enjoy many gourmet tastes from around the Las Vegas Valley, demonstrating to a cosmopolitan crowd some of the world-class options available in our fair city.

www.lvfnbpro.com

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By Bob Barnes

Photos courtesy Charlie Palmer Group

Photos courtesy MGM Resorts International

What’s Cooking

Bob Barnes is a native Las Vegan, editorial director of The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional, regional correspondent for Celebrator Beer News and covers the LV restaurant scene for Gayot.com. He welcomes your inquiries. Email: bob@lvfnb.com

Della’s Kitchen Providing Farm-To-Table Cuisine at Delano Hotel The one-year-old Della’s Kitchen at the Delano has embraced the farm-to-table concept in a big way. Rather than just provide lip service with a few locally grown ingredients, Chef Jay Calimlim has cultivated relationships with several local growers to incorporate a bevy of dishes made with ingredients grown one to two hours away, such as K&K, a hydroponic farm located in Pahrump just 60 miles away. Many of the menu items list the farms they are sourced from and it’s the first one in Las Vegas in which I’ve seen mention of Nevada lamb and beef from ranches in Nevada.

In addition, chickens are free range and along with the beef are hormone and chemical free. Using the freshest, healthy and natural ingredients also allows for Chef Calimlim and his team to make as many items as possible from scratch, with all sauces, breads, jellies and jams made in-house. And the taste testifies to its goodness. Be sure to try the spicy homemade BBQ sauce that accompanies the Smoky Wings (served with great presentation under a dome dosed with smoke) and sugar free banana/berry jam that comes with the homemade corn bread.

Restaurant Manager Justin Crowe says lots of local foodies have taken notice and have become regulars. Although the restaurant is currently only open for breakfast and lunch, it has proven to be quite successful, and providing room service to the Delano’s 1,100 rooms, to the Franklin lounge in the evenings and squeezed juices for 3940 Coffee & Tea, helps keep them busy. Themed dinners have also been very popular and plans are to offer them three or more times a year. A recent “Rustic Harvest” dinner featured a four-course dinner paired with premium wines with dishes such as roasted squash salad, braised Durham Ranch pork cheeks, Durham Ranch venison loin and dessert of spiced caramelized apple confit.

The menu allows you to be healthy or splurge and is coded to Gluten Free and Smart Plate items having 700 calories or less, such as the Market Vegetables entrée with white bean puree, seasonal vegetables, pea tendrils and morel jus or Pan-Roasted Chicken Breast with Shelton’s free-range chicken, potato puree, spring vegetables and morel jus. Vegetarians have several items to choose from, such as house-made Granola; Tomato Salad with heirloom tomato, pea puree, salt-roasted beets, burrata and pea tendrils; Truffled Pappardelle with English peas, forest mushrooms and truffle butter; and Quinoa Cereal comprised of sliced banana, Pudwill Farms berries, almonds, chia seeds and soy milk. Indulgent items include Blackened Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp served with two types of grits: white hominy and local aged cheddar; Lamb Sliders with spiced Nevada lamb, pickled red onion, feta, K&K arugula and harissa aioli; and desserts of Crème Brulee, Apple Cobbler and Oreo Cheesecake.

As for the restaurant’s environment, there’s a casual relaxed ambience with wood tones and warm colors of yellow, aqua blue, lime green and brown and shelves lined with multi-colored jars and bottles alluding to the farm-to-table theme; and the space is open to the walkway to the Mandalay Bay allowing for people watching. Della’s Kitchen is self described as a farm-to-table comfort food café, but based on my experience, it goes well beyond, with fine dining quality at café prices.

22 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I November 2015

Chef Arnaud Masset and Chef Nicole Erle Now at Aureole Over the summer, Charlie Palmer brought in two new team members to leadership roles at Aureole. Parisian born and classically trained Arnaud Masset, who has worked at numerous restaurants throughout France, and was most recently executive chef of the Palms, is the new executive chef. Nicole Erle, a graduate of the CIA in Hyde Park, NY, who served as executive pastry chef for all of Wolfgang Puck’s seven Vegas restaurants, has taken over as executive pastry chef.

Chef Palmer joined his new chefs for a media tasting of the new menu. We were treated to Ahi Tuna Tartare with watermelon and fried soft quail egg and wasabi ponzu that merged the creaminess of ahi with the crunch of watermelon; slow poached Foie Gras Torchon, which broke the rules with a very rich and sweet frozen foie gras mousse in a course that was not a dessert but worked wonderfully well; Ora King Salmon with a red wine shallot crust, polenta and citrus butter kept moist by the cedar plank it was cooked on; Braised Short Rib Gras Ravioli with wild mushroom and a pesto-like fragrant basil and parmesan emulsion; Galantine of Jidori Chicken with king crab, mushroom herb jus and Brussels sprouts leaves; Tropical Rum Baba, a fruit salad with lemongrass sherbet; and Pumpkin Spice Cake with milk chocolate mousse and pumpkin pie ice cream.

All of the aforementioned dishes are being gradually added to the menu and after enjoying this stupendous tasting I can confidently report that this Mandalay Bay restaurant has not missed a beat with the transition, as Vincent Pouessel moved on to take the executive chef position at Daniel Boulud’s DB Brasserie. www.lvfnbpro.com

Nevada Restaurant Association Announces 2015 Culinary Excellence Award Winners

Lorraine Hunt and Robin Leach MC the NvRA Culinary Excellence Awards

Photos Courtesy 501 Studios The Nevada Restaurant Association presented the Culinary Excellence Awards on October 15, 2015.

The annual event honors the best and brightest in the industry, who were selected based on merit in such areas as reliability, teamwork, leadership, contributions of knowledge and time to the community and dedication to the restaurant industry.

Candidates were nominated by a group of noted industry professionals in six award categories, and the winners were voted on by the Association’s Board of Directors.

“The nominees and winners exemplify the Nevada Restaurant Association’s mission to promote, protect and educate our state’s growing restaurant industry,” said Katherine Jacobi, president and CEO of the Association. “It is an honor to recognize these individuals for everything they do and their culinary and community achievements,” added Sebastien Silvestri, Chairman of the Board.

The winners are as follows:

NvRA Champion of the Year: Gino Ferraro

Gino Ferraro is the owner of Ferraro’s Italian Restaurant and Wine Bar, which specializes in homemade pasta made from scratch for an authentic Italian dining experience. His restaurant is known for not only the incredible Italian cuisine, but also for making his guests feel like family to the restaurant. Ferraro’s has won a plethora of awards including: Open Table’s “Diner’s Choice 2015” Award, Wine Spectator’s “Award of Excellence,” the Prestigious Wine Enthusiast Award and others.

Bartender of the Year: Ju Young Kang

Ju Young Kang is a lead mixologist for Delmonico’s and as a part of her position trains all bar staff, as well as curating Delmonico’s renowned bar program with one of the largest whisky selections in the U.S. that includes more than 700 varieties from eight different countries.

In the past two years she has won GQ and Bombay’s Sapphire’s “Most Imaginative Bartender” 2014; Liquor.com and Woodford Reserve’s “Manhattan Experience” 2014; United States Bartenders’ Guild and Nightclub and Bar’s “Shake It Up” 2015; and Bacardi Legacy 2014.

Pastry Chef of the Year: Jin Caldwell

Jin Caldwell is the founder and owner of JinJu Chocolates, which serves as a wholesale business to Las Vegas Hotels/Resorts. Jin also has a boutique retail shop in the Container Park on Fremont Street.

In addition to her career endeavors, she has also made television appearances on Rachael Ray’s Tasty Travels and Sugar Rush as a guest chef.

Among her many awards and recognitions, she was recognized as one of the “Top 10 Chocolatiers” in North America at the Salon Du Chocolat NYC by Dessert Professional Magazine, and had the “Best Entremet (cake) in the World” in the World Ice Cream Competition, which spanned 11 countries.

Restaurant Allied of the Year: Michael Severino

Michael Severino is the general manager and in charge of event marketing for Southern Wine & Spirits. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, he has been a part of the inception of Maxim hotel and has worked with Caesar’s Tahoe, The Riviera Hotel and worked for over 10 years with the Summa Corporation. Michael is also involved with several charity organizations, including “Keep Memory Alive,” which is a charity that donates 100% profit to the Cleveland Clinic

www.lvfnbpro.com

Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health specializing in individuals with Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s Disease and Parkinson’s.

Culinarian of the Year: José Andrés

Named as one of Time’s “100 Most Influential People” and awarded “Outstanding Chef” by the James Beard Foundation, José Andrés is an internationally-recognized culinary innovator, author, educator, television personality, humanitarian and chef/owner of ThinkFoodGroup.

A pioneer of Spanish tapas in the United States, he is also known for his groundbreaking avantgarde cuisine and his award-winning group of 21 restaurants, located throughout the country in Washington, DC, Miami, Puerto Rico, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and, coming this fall, Mexico City.

Andrés recently debuted his PBS documentary, Undiscovered Haiti, giving an unprecedented glimpse into the island’s dynamic culture, people, and stunning landscape. In 2012, he formed World Central Kitchen, a non-profit that provides smart solutions to hunger and poverty by using the power of food to empower communities and strengthen economies. This year, in recognition of his philanthropic work to help change the world, Andrés was awarded the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s Chairman’s Medallion, awarded

by Hillary Clinton.

NvRA Bartender of the Year Ju Young Kang and Sebastien Silvestri

NvRA Champion of the Year Gino Ferraro

Restaurateur of the Year: David Robins

David Robins is currently a managing partner, Operations & Corporate Chef of the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group. He joined the company in 1992 to open Spago, and after a very successful three years, Chef Wolfgang offered him a top-level partnership with the corporation that also expanded his role to include restaurant development and operations. He has since opened 5 additional Wolfgang Puck restaurants in the valley and does philanthropic work for Alzheimer’s Foundation for the Cleveland Clinic at the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, March of Dimes, Nevada Cancer Institute and Meals on Wheels.

In addition, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation recognized Raja Majid of Origin India as Restaurant Neighbor of the Year and the Brown-Forman Retailer of the Year Award from the National American Beverages Licensees was presented to Roger Sachs from Steiner’s Pub. A portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit the Association’s Education Foundation, which provides scholarships for high school students interested in starting a career in the restaurant and foodservice industry.

NvRA Restaurant Allied of the Year Michael Severino with Lorraine Hunt and Sebastien Silvestri

NvRA Restaurateur of the Year David Robins with Lorraine Hunt and Sebastien Silvestri

November 2015 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 23

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT |

It’s all about the gravy

Major Products, the stock and sauce specialists have innovatively changed the way they package their range of Superb Gravies and Sauces. The highly successful line includes Brown, Chicken, Turkey, Pork and Country Gravy as well as the seriously delicious Cheese and Nacho Cheese Sauces.

Developed by chefs, for chefs, Major felt it was time to bring something new to the marketplace. This has come in the form of reinventing their Superb range by designing a new label and presenting the products in a foil pouch for guaranteed freshness. The feedback from customers has been sensational and Major are delighted at the overwhelming thumbs up. The new packaging looks much more visually appealing and now matches the quality of the first class product inside.

PRODUCT REVIEW |

The five gravies yield up to 1 gallon when prepared. With no artificial additives or preservatives and both Low Sodium and Gluten Free flavors available, they really are the answer to all your nutritional needs.

Easy to use in a few simple steps, they offer the upmost in convenience and ensure consistency throughout your guests dining experience.

The two Superb cheese sauces come in 24 oz pouches and again make up to 1 gallon when prepared. With real cheese being the first ingredient, the sauces are offering a rich flavor, while both products are Gluten Free with no added MSG, artificial additives or preservatives.

To find out more about Major’s exciting full product portfolio or to request a selection of FREE samples of the Superb range call 1-(800) 222 1296 or take a look at the website www.majorproducts.

Marlee’s Green Tea Whiskey

By Bob Barnes Ever wanted to combine a healthy drink with a favorite libation? In the case of Marlee’s Green Tea Whiskey, a new flavored whiskey that combines whiskey and green tea, you can. Launched in Florida in July 2015, it contains a proprietary blend of Chinese Gunpowder Green Tea containing natural antioxidants sourced from select farms in China, brewed and blended with American rye whiskey and a touch of organic Mexican Blue Agave. Adding to the healthful aspects are a lower ABV (14.95%) and hence a lower calorie count than regular whiskey. Interestingly, this

idea is not new, as whiskey and tea was a common pairing dating back to the 1800s. In sampling it I found it to be a bit like drinking sweet tea (but not overly sweet) with a touch of rye. I also found that if I wanted a higher whiskey strength it blends quite well with a full strength brand. The makers recommend to drink it simply poured over ice with a touch of lemon and mint sprig, but if you want to get more creative there are Marlee’s cocktail recipes as well as ordering info at http://whiskeyt.com. The suggested MSRP is $17.99.

Punch, Drunk, Love

It’s the time of year to revel in pumpkin delights and MRKT Sea & Land, located inside Aliante Casino + Hotel + Spa, has created the Pumpkin Spice Martini, made with 2 oz.

RumChata Cream Liqueur, 1 oz. Absolut Vanilla and 1 oz Pumpkin Spice Liqueur and rimmed with bar syrup and crushed graham cracker and garnished with a dollop of whipped cream and a candy corn.

Tacos & Tequila (T&T) photo by Peter Harasty

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, in October CRUSH at MGM Grand donated $1 of every PUNCH, DRUNK, LOVE purchased to the Susan G. Komen organization. The cocktail is made with Mint Infused Hendricks Gin, Lillet Rosé, fresh watermelon juice and fresh lime juice.

Pumpkin Spice Martini

photo courtesy Aliante Casino

The Serpico Throughout the month of November, GIADA at The Cromwell will offer one of its new signature cocktails, The Serpico for $14. One of the more masculine cocktails on the cocktail menu, it’s made with ruby port cask aged bourbon from Knob Creek, Pedro Ximenz Sherry and Carpano Antica Vermouth, which adds layers of smoky raisinated fig, roasted nuts and exotic spice.

photo courtesy Tacos & Tequila

photo courtesy Caesars Entertainment

OUR PERSONAL PICKS

Tacos & Tequila (T&T) located inside Luxor Hotel & Casino celebrates National Nachos Day on Nov. 6 with its signature nachos made with corn tortilla chips, black beans, jalapeño, chipotle-cheese sauce, guacamole, pico de gallo and crema fresca.

photos by ©Erik Kabik/Kabik Photo Group

Burger Tour

Mr. Lucky’s Café and The Ainsworth, located at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, launched the second stop on the Burger Tour menu with four new sweet and savory options, available now through February 2016. Pictured here are THE SAMURAI–a half-pound burger served on Texas toast with Swiss cheese, teriyaki sauce, napa cabbage, fresh pineapple, piquillo peppers and samurai sauce; BIG “POPPA”– a half-pound burger served on a brioche bun with pepper jack cheese, jalapeño poppers stuffed with cream cheese, grilled onions and ranch dressing; MY BOY BLUE–a halfpound burger served on a brioche bun with crumbled blue cheese, crispy bacon, chipotle mayo and green leaf lettuce; and BUTTER “BALLER”–a half-pound turkey burger served on a wheat bun with an over-easy egg, fried kale, red onion, cranberry sauce and roasted garlic mayo.

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www.lvfnbpro.com

Good for Spooning

Photo courtesy Vox Solid Communications and Ferraro’s

Ferraro’s Turns 30

By LeAnne Notabartolo A culinary event coordinator and live cooking demonstrator, this “Edu-tainer” with more than 1000 demos under her belt lives to cook and eat.

She works with chefs at events and learns from them and translates info for home cooks. She is the Chick in Charge of Good for Spooning – read her blog here: www.goodforspooning.com leanne@goodforspooning.com.

Gino & Rosalba Ferraro

In a city where the old is constantly closed, torn down or removed in order to make way for the “flavor of the month,” Ferraro’s has been steadily serving the Las Vegas community— in more ways than one.

On November 5, 1985, Gino Ferraro and his wife Rosalba opened Ferraro’s at Sahara and Jones as a deli and pizzeria with just six tables. Seven years later, Gino opened a fine dining Italian concept on Flamingo with seating for 150. Flash forward to 2009, during one of Vegas’s deepest recessions; Gino decided to build a larger facility and moved Ferraro’s to its current location at Harmon and Paradise. People said he was crazy, but obviously he wasn’t, because Ferraro’s continues to thrive in an industry where 30 years in business is a monumental feat. To quote Gino, “I am a pioneer in Italian fine dining and wine here in Vegas.” The wine program encompasses some 16,000 bottles, predominantly Italian with California selections to round out the list.

The business continues to evolve and grow in this decade, with two Pizza Forte locations in addition to Ferraro’s.

Gino has seen plenty of changes in the Vegas dining culture since he began in 1985. When he first opened his doors, clients “dressed for dinner” and that is no longer the case. When you enter Ferraro’s, if you look to the side of

the door, you will see a small sign indicating that “proper attire” must be worn. Don’t mistake that for meaning that a shirt and tie are required, but a modicum of respect for your fellow diners is expected. Gino says he has seen the dining culture become very casual and he appreciates that is the way of the world, but you can’t walk into Ferraro’s in cutoffs or a bikini with a sheer cover-up and be seated. I, for one, love this!

When you enter, you are greeted by a member of the family, another thing that separates Ferraro’s from other fine dining establishments and Gino is very proud of that. “When people go to the celebrity chef restaurants, the chef or owner doesn’t greet you at the door. You’re lucky if they are even on site. Here at Ferraro’s, we are here and we welcome each guest.”

One of the other big changes he has seen is the expectations of the diners. Diners are more knowledgeable and welcome dishes now that wouldn’t sell in 1985. “No one had octopus on their menu, or burrata. It wouldn’t sell; people didn’t even know what burrata was. Now they are everywhere and our guests love it! We are able to serve more authentic dishes because the guests expect it.”

Longevity certainly sets Ferraro’s apart, but the menu and the kitchen are stellar examples of family style scratch cooking done in a restaurant setting. Everything is made from scratch on premises including pastas, desserts, bread, sausages and of course all the sauces. The gelati are made off premises using their recipes and brought in only because it allows for excellent quality control and frees up space in the kitchen

26 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I November 2015

to handle other tasks. Because Gino’s family originated in Calabria, the menu features dishes from there, but also from other regions of Italy including Tuscany and Sicily. Rosalba heads up the pastry team using family recipes and oversees the execution. The cookies are fantastic!

Gino and Rosalba believe in serving the community as well as their guests. The Ferraro family generously supports a variety of charities, schools and sports programs, including my personal favorite, Three Square Food Bank.

In celebration of 30 years of business, Mayor Carolyn Goodman proclaimed November 6th “The Ferraro Family Day.” To further celebrate, Ferraro’s is offering a limited time only, fourcourse menu in November at a special anniversary price of $30.30 featuring classics from Ferraro’s original menu. The menu is available November 6–8 and November 13–15. Vegas favorites such as Veal Marsala, Chicken Francese, and Eggplant Parmigiana as well as their amazing Osso Bucco will be offered in the entrée selections. Look for feature cocktails and wine specials too.

With seating for more than 300 inside, plus additional seating on the patio, and located just off the Strip, Ferraro’s is perfectly situated to handle parties of all sizes from small intimate family dinners to corporate parties, business meetings and everything in between. Ferraro’s serves lunch Monday through Friday and dinner and late night dining seven nights a week.

Call 702-364-5300 to make reservations. www.lvfnbpro.com

The Bottom Line How to Conquer Rising Food Costs

By Ben Brown Ben is an MBA candidate at USC’s Marshall School of Business, specializing in hospitality marketing and analytics. He has served as a food & beverage strategist with MGM Resorts, as well as reviewed more than 200 Las Vegas restaurants with CBS Local and Examiner. com. Contact him at Ben@lvfnb.com.

These two concepts fail because they lack subtlety. Successful owners will tackle the problem like an electrician takes on a new installation: Make big changes behind the scenes, hide the dirty work, and divert the customer’s attention to the bright light shining overhead. If done correctly, the following five solutions will keep patrons happy without them ever noticing the small patching on the walls:

Refine your ingredient mix If egg costs are rising, you may want to use fewer eggs in your omelet.

Maintain the omelet’s original size, however, with more additives that keep the overall item cost the same. Maybe it’s mixing a bit of milk into the eggs, or adding some extra tomatoes and peppers. Perhaps even a different cooking method to whip more air into the dish. In any case, you’re using more of a low-cost ingredient to make up for using less of a high-cost counterpart.

Illustration by Charles Cochran • facebook Charlie_arter

Change plate proportions In the same way that you can use more of one ingredient, you can experiment with different balances across the plate. If you make a smaller omelet, two more slices of toast or a bigger helping of potatoes may be in order. Same concept applies: make up for the loss of one item by offering more of another, lower-cost item.

Cross-sell for cheaper Another approach is to keep affected menu items the same and pair them with high-margin orders. Customers who order omelets could add a juice for half price, or a pastry for just $3. Even if your juice and pastry margins aren’t as high, you’re still selling them to people who never would have made those purchases in the first place. As long as the paired item keeps the total in the black, increased volume in these areas could be your saving grace.

New cage laws in California have improved poultry farming from an ethical standpoint, but are also responsible for skyrocketing egg prices.

Breakfast joints, understandably, have been hit hard by the change.

Already-thin margins are being pushed close to zero, or perhaps even into the red for many mom-and-pop morning spots. Sadly, this is just part of the restaurant business, and the key is to take immediate action to resolve these types of issues without upsetting your customers. Easier said than done, but let’s discuss a few ideas to balance the books and still leave your patrons smiling.

In the case of rising ingredient costs, a quick fix that owners unfortunately use all too often is decreasing portion size. Smaller servings may bring margins closer to par, but incur an even greater cost to your restaurant by detracting from the guest experience. Your customers, and especially your repeat customers, will notice these changes immediately and will not tolerate leaving hungry. Also, looking at the issue in the longer-term, what happens when costs rise again? Will you shrink things down even further?

Increasing price is the other instinctive way to pass the problem down.

Thankfully, more owners recognize that the vast majority of customers will look down on higher prices, regardless of the restaurant’s quality or their own financial status. The term is known as ‘price-sensitivity,’ and it can lead to uproars over hikes of less than $1 in a given menu item. Of course all menu prices increase over time with inflation, but sudden jumps are certain to drive away repeat visitors that you cannot afford to lose. www.lvfnbpro.com

Incentivize other items You can always place your customers’ focus elsewhere on the menu.

Train your service staff to promote pancakes, hashes and other specialties that don’t rely as much on eggs. Mark more of these items as ‘favorites’ or put a box around the entire category. Introduce new daily specials with ingredients that haven’t risen as much in cost.

Redesign your menu More of a drastic option, but eliminating high-cost items altogether may be an appropriate option if they’re simply not making the restaurant money. Making a low-margin menu category smaller in comparison to other categories diverts the customer toward these higher-margin areas.

Cutting down your omelet selection and fleshing out your pancake lineup, for example, could work so long as you’re not taking away any crowd favorites and your brand doesn’t revolve around omelets.

In any of these cases, keep everything in moderation. Just as customers will notice when you shrink your portions and raise your prices, they will notice if a dish is all starch and no protein. Maintaining your reputation and the trust of your loyalists is the most important item to consider in any restaurant endeavor, regardless of food costs.

November 2015 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 27

A Good Read: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Beer The Beer Bible by Jeff Alworth is an ambitious title. The use of the word Bible implies an all-encompassing coverage of the topic in question. The 644 page tome does indeed go into great detail on mankind’s favorite beverage, and is a comprehensive guide to everything beer, with sections covering the history of brewing, how beer is made, and the author’s descriptions of 52 breweries in six countries he’s visited over his two years of research spanning more than 17,000 miles.

A large portion of the book is devoted to delving into the four beer families—ales, lagers, wheat beers, and tart and wild ales—with more than 100 beer styles—from IPA to lambic, porter to pilsner, sahti to saison—with in-depth profiles of each.

Historians will appreciate the background provided on each style and how that style came to be, influences of geography and history, the littleknown lore and amusing anecdotes, the ingredients and flavors and how it’s progressed over the years.

By Bob Barnes Bob Barnes is a native Las Vegan, editorial director of The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional, regional correspondent for Celebrator Beer News and covers the LV restaurant scene for Gayot.com. He welcomes your inquiries. Email: bob@lvfnb.com

Those looking for a guide to beers they’d like to try have a bevy of specific beer descriptions and factual info about the brewery they are brewed at, to steer them towards broadening their beer horizons.

Travelers will appreciate a guide to beer tourism that includes global pub culture, the best way to order another round in various countries, mustvisit breweries and beer festivals around the world, and virtual tours of 18 of the world’s most fascinating, innovative, and storied breweries.

Also included are infographics to explain and illustrate essential beer knowledge such as the brewing process, appropriate glassware for each beer, how to decipher a label, how to say “Cheers!” in various languages, a description of pub games and a primer on food pairings that includes the “three Cs”—complement, contrast, or cut.

Appendixes are devoted to a glossary of beer terms, style origin maps, descriptions of hop varieties, a bibliography and index.

What makes The Beer Bible an easy read are the photographs, maps, and illustrations throughout. I found it easy to peruse and hard to put down, and suspect any true student of beer would as well.

The author, Jeff Alworth, lives in Portland, Oregon and has been writing about beer for more than 15 years. He is the author of The Beer Tasting Toolkit and Cider Made Simple and has also written for Draft, All About Beer, Sunset, The Oregonian, and other publications, as well as his popular site, Beervana.

The Beer Bible is published by Workman Publishing. For more information or to order the book, visit http://workman.com/products/9780761184980.

The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional & Nomic’s Charity Photo Contest Last month we featured Amelinda Lee, 1st place winner of the #WeWork4LV Campaign, a photo competition featuring “behind the scenes” photos that highlighted bartenders, servers and chefs-the F&B pros who make Vegas great, sponsored by Nomic and LVFNBPro that raised money for Three Square, with Nomic donating $1 for every picture submitted. In this issue we are pleased to share the 2nd and 3rd place winning photographs.

2nd place photo: Anthony Perri Captain at Tom Colicchio’s Heritage Steak

3rd place photo: Otto Las Vegas One of the most important parts of the day/night is pre-shift, where the chefs go over any menu changes, specialty items, or the menu in general; as well as management communicating any special events, announcements or service notes for the day/evening. It is also a time for us all to get together and talk/laugh.

28 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I November 2015

www.lvfnbpro.com

By Megan Nicolson

Megan Mack’s Latenight Excursions

Goodbye summer, hello fall! Well, technically fall began September 23rd, but the high temperatures lingered longer than expected. It welcomes beanie weather, crockpot comfort food, and the ever growing “pumpkin flavored everything.” I’ll admit to that one as well; it’s my pumpkin spiced latte and I’ll wear my UGGs if I want to.

So in the spirit of fall, what better way to celebrate it then heading over to the Hofbrauhaus and partaking in Oktoberfest. This Bavarian-style restaurant is the only German-style beer hall in Las Vegas offering about four beer varieties in different sized steins ranging from 10 oz. all the way to the famous 2-liter boot. Guests sit at long communal wood benches cheering strangers and listening to the band play everything from polka, drinking songs, and even the “Star Spangled Banner.” My girlfriend and I ordered the jumbo pretzel to start that is accompanied

by Obatzda, a traditional cheese spread. You can’t really go wrong with good beer and a salty snack. For my main dish, I ordered a variation of a classic Bavarian sausage specialty, the Wurstplatte—two Vienna-style frankfurters, pork and chicken sausages, sauerkraut, mashed potatoes and onion mustard. The staff, atmosphere, and music are on point; so enjoy a large beer but beware of ordering shots, you might just get paddled.

With the theme of beer and live music continuing, my next stop was Todd English P.U.B., located in CityCenter across from Aria. They have a little over 40 beers on draft and a handful in bottles accompanied by a full bar if you’re not in the beer mood. But being that they offer so many choices from Belgians, IPA’s, barrel-aged, Trappist style, Mead, Ciders, and a long list of rotational breweries, I think it would be very hard if you couldn’t decide on a beer. My server was amazing and very patient, walking me through beers that interested me. She even was so kind as to bring me samples and explain them, until I finally chose a pint of the La Resolution, a strong dark ale brewed by Unibroue out of Chambly, Canada—warm and hearty, with flavors of spice, fig and honey. Some have even described it as having a Christmas cookie nose. Now if that’s not indicative of the fall season, I don’t know what is.

For appetizers I ordered fried pickles and the house favorite, duck buns— four steamed buns filled with duck confit, hoisin sauce and a cucumber raita, similar to a Greek tzatziki sauce. For main courses, I listened to the server’s suggestions and went with the brown butter lobster rolls and the prime rotisserie sandwich. I ended with a 3 oz. pour of their Klapojster Mjod Mead, described as port-like, spicy, alcoholic, warming, with a deep herbal quality of caraway and massive honey character. And with the ABV being that of 21.6%, I’d have to agree.

This gastropub also boasts a traditional English fare, a raw bar, a carvery, brunch with famous bloody Mary’s, a small outside patio and a dual happy hour from 3-6 p.m. and 10-12 a.m. Live music is Thur.-Sat. from 9-midnight and they cover a variety of music and bands. I will definitely be going back to try the rest of the menu and listen to great music, and suggest you do the same.

My last and final stop this month was at The Sand Dollar Lounge. Some of you may have heard of it before since it was featured on Bar Rescue, but it has since changed owners. An iconic little dive bar since the late 70s, it was established on the sound waves of many famous musicians. It has been through a rollercoaster of name changes and owners, even closing in 2007 until three industry professionals came together, revamped it and breathed www.lvfnbpro.com

Megan Nicolson was raised in Las Vegas, where she has resided for the past 21 years, and has been involved in the nightlife industry for 10 years. She attended UNR and graduated with a BS of Animal Science and Pre Vet Med.

new life into the infamous walls. It’s modern meets classic with a great bourbon collection and the classic cocktails are top notch. The staff was awesome and genuinely nice. Nathan, one of the managing partners, welcomed everyone with a huge smile, made awesome recommendations regarding the cocktail list and was happy to answer any questions I had. The venue offers billiards, live music, a beer vending machine with Colt 45 and a spry, old regular named Nick.

He’s very sweet actually; just don’t sit in his seat. Plus, their prices are unbeatable.

Tuesday nights have become quite industry popular, with doors opening at 6 p.m. and the bands usually starting around 9:30/10 p.m. The night I stopped in happened to feature country music by the Sam Riddle Band.

They had a great sound and engaged the audience by singing a majority of their own hits with a few covers in between. You can find a list of artists and dates on their website. They do not have food, but a taco truck is out front for when you find yourself craving a bite to eat. I highly recommend this hidden gem. In fact, you’ll find me there again, on one of the small twotops dimly lit by a red candle drinking my favorite cocktail, the barrel-aged Smoke on the Water. This is the epitome of classic Vegas.

Hofbrauhaus Las Todd English P.U.B. The Sand Dollar Lounge Vegas 3720 Las Vegas Blvd 4510 Paradise Rd Las Vegas, NV 89158 3355 Spring Mountain Rd / Ste 30 Las Vegas, NV 89169 Las Vegas, NV 89102

ON TAP AND IN BOTTLES THROUHOUT SOUTHERN NEVADA LAS VEGAS’ ORIGINAL BREWING COMPANY ww.bigdogsbrews.com November 2015 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 29

EVENTS

AD INDEX

November November 7

13th Annual Lee’s Wine Experience Tropicana Hotel leesliquorlv.com/uncategorized/13th-annual-lees-wine-experience-2015

November 9

Chef’s Night Out A special screening of Burnt in Memory of Chef Kerry Simon followed by a craft beer tasing at Zenshin South Pont Hotel Casino RSVP to lasvegasevents@southernwine.com

November 14

November 16-22

San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival San Diego Waterfront www.sandiegowineclassic.com

November 20

Cheers to Chocolate The District at Green Valley Ranch www.cheers2chocolate.com

November 24

ACF Chefs of Las Vegas Monthly Meeting CSN Cheyenne Campus www.acfchefslasvegas.org

Sunset Park’d Food Truck Festival Sunset Park www.sunsetparkd.com

ACF Chefs Las Vegas - Associate Advisory Board Fab Feast For Fifty Charity Package Donation from Chefs For Kids Gala

30 The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional I November 2015

JCCNV www.jccnevada.com 702-428-0555

page 18

Audrey Dempsey Infinity Photo page 18 www.infinity-photo.com 702-837-1128

Major Foods www.majorproducts.com 702-838-4698

page 25

Big Dog’s Brewing Company www.bigdogsbrews.com 702-368-3715

Niigata Sake Festival http://sakenojin.jp/english 025-229-1218

page 30

Al Dentes’ Provisions sales@aldentes.com 702-642-1100

page 11

page 29

Chef’s Night Out page 20 Honoring Chef Kerry Simon RSVP to lasvegasevents@southerwine.com Las Vegas Craft Lager www.bigdogsbrews.com 702-368-3715

page 2

Con Arts Las Vegas www.conartslv.com 702-260-3320

page 18

Jay’s Sharpening Service www.jayssharpening.com 702-645-0049

page 12

Repeal Day page 15 Celebration at the Mob Museum www.themobmuseum.org 702-229-2734 The Spice Outlet www.thespiceoutlet.com 702-534-7883

page 11

Todd English P.U.B. www.toddenglishpub.com 702-489-8080

page 31

White Soy Sauce www.whitesoysaucefood.com

page 8

www.lvfnbpro.com

Kerry Simon Tribute

Photos by Mike Fryer and Southern Wine & Spirits Nevada

October 18, 2015 - Keep Memory Alive Event Center

CHEF KERRY SIMON 1955-2015 Kerry was a longtime supporter of many local charities, including Keep Memory Alive, which benefits the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.

Following his diagnosis, he redoubled his efforts, and cofounded a fund called Fight MSA to benefit Keep Memory Alive.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Kerry Simon Fight MSA fund at Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.

http://www.keepmemoryalive. org/ways_to_contribute/ opportunities_to_give/donate